In 1997, NHTSA partnered with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF),
a National, nonprofit organization promoting safer motorcycling, to
provide the leadership and resources to create the National Agenda
for Motorcycle Safety (National Agenda). The National Agenda
is a strategic planning document intended to provide a shared National
vision for future motorcycle safety efforts by incorporating input from
a broad, multi-disciplinary spectrum of stakeholders. Developing this
framework involved participation by experts in industry, research, training,
and rider communities (law enforcement, health care, media, and insurance
companies). The result was a collaborative document that examines components
of motorcycle safety programs at the Federal, State and local levels.
The document also offers strategies for broad-based support and action.
It serves as a comprehensive, National blueprint, which all interested
parties can use to promote and enhance safety.

Note: The recommendations in the National Agenda are not recommendations
directed to NHTSA or any Federal government agency. Those stakeholders
in the motorcycle and traffic safety community may adopt and address
any recommendation within their authority as appropriate.

Since the release of the National Agenda in December 2000, motorcycle
fatalities have continued to increase. The National Agenda action
items were based on data from 1998 and 1999. By 2000 it became clear
that an upward trend in motorcycle crash-related fatalities continued
from the increases noted in 1998. Data from 2000 and 2001 revealed new
and recent emerging trends involving rises in rural versus urban fatalities
and deaths among older riders on larger motorcycles. These trends were
not known and, consequently not addressed in the National Agenda.
NHTSA’s Motorcycle Safety Program aligns with the National
Agenda on some efforts, but also focuses its efforts on the more
recent trends revealed by the 2000 and 2001 data.

This document centers on crash prevention, which offers the greatest
potential safety benefit for motorcyclists, while also addressing injury
mitigation and emergency response. The Motorcycle Safety Program
encompasses major areas of concern, including the need for more behavioral
and vehicle research, as well as the need to obtain more complete data
on specific aspects of motorcycle crashes. It also addresses issues
of roadway design that can enhance operator safety. The program builds
on current and past efforts, and also addresses a number of concerns
raised in the National Agenda. It presents the priorities and
specific program initiatives that NHTSA intends to pursue in the near
and long terms. The document is also consistent with NHTSA’s statutory
responsibilities in promoting greater motorcycle safety.

As with other traffic safety programs, NHTSA’s Motorcycle Safety
Program is based on a comprehensive approach, as shown in Table
2, that works to: (1) prevent motorcycle crashes; (2) mitigate rider
injury when crashes do occur; and (3) provide rapid and appropriate
emergency medical services response and better treatment for crash victims.
The problems and proposed initiatives are organized according to the
Haddon Matrix, which is composed of three time phases of a crash event
(Crash Prevention – Pre-Crash, Injury Mitigation – Crash, and Emergency
Response – Post-Crash), along with the three areas influencing each
of the crash time phases (Human Factors, Vehicle Role and Environmental
Conditions).

While NHTSA is anxious to find effective solutions to this major public
health problem – funding and greater activism are key. Our ultimate
objective for all road users, including motorcyclists, is to reduce
motorcycle-related fatalities and injuries. However, in working to improve
motorcycle safety NHTSA faces major challenges – challenges in terms
of limited financial resources and balancing the competing priorities
of other critical traffic safety issues. Most of the planned activities
are directly linked to financial resources available to combat this
growing problem. NHTSA’s planned activities, to date, to improve motorcycle
safety, are discussed in the next section of this program. The agency
will continue to partner with FHWA and the motorcycle and traffic safety
communities to improve, not just motorcycle safety, but highway safety
overall. In doing so, a renewed National comprehensive effort needs
to take place at all levels - Federal, State, local and individual –
in order to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries attributable
to motorcycle crashes.

Motorcycle safety is traditionally promoted by the agency through highway
safety grants to States, technical assistance, specific safety initiatives,
data collection and analysis, and safety standards designed to contribute
to safe operation and rider protection. NHTSA has allocated resources
to support these broad initiatives since the agency’s inception in the
late 1960's. NHTSA’s aim has remained one of intensifying the focus
it brings to safety problems inherent in operating motorcycles. Its
approach entails safety leadership, nationally and internationally.
NHTSA works to encourage safety efforts by all segments of the United
States motorcycling community, and it collaborates with international
organizations and governments as well, and will continue to do so. The
agency values its partnerships with stakeholders in the motorcycle manufacturing
and aftermarket industries, as well as the rider and education communities.
However, efforts by interested parties in this community face difficult
challenges in working to improve motorcycle safety. Although National
data show that trends in crashes involving motorcycles shift over time,
the big issues surrounding motorcycle safety - such as rider protection
during crashes, the need for more and improved rider training, and the
impairing effects of alcohol - are extant from year to year. NHTSA views
interaction with stakeholders as a crucial means to allow it to collaborate
on how to best improve these and other issue areas affecting motorcycle
safety. Personal protective gear, rider education and training, and
riding sober are the best defenses to prevent crashes and mitigate injuries
when a crash does occur. Like other road users who are urged to protect
themselves, and others, from injury or death by wearing safety belts,
driving unimpaired, and observing traffic rules, motorcyclists must
ensure that they have done everything possible to make the ride safe
by taking training, wearing protective gear, and riding alcohol and
drug free.

Motorcycle organizations, as well as NHTSA, are increasing their activities
aimed at reducing motorcyclist fatalities. For instance, MSF has announced
the establishment of a grassroots-oriented, small-award grant program
to help support the implementation of the recommendations of the National
Agenda. The program enables any person, organization, or business
to submit an application with award amounts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000
to institute programs that will be recognizable, measurable and have
immediate returns. In addition to supporting the implementation of the
National Agenda, MSF has offered to provide free training and
education materials to state motorcycle safety and highway safety offices,
event planners, enthusiast organizations and others to promote Motorcycle
Safety Awareness Month, which occurs each May.

In showing its commitment to carrying out its safety mandate, NHTSA
published a draft Motorcycle Safety Improvement Plan in the Federal
Register on June 25, 2001. The agency received 78 comments on the plan.
Several comments expressed the need for in-depth research into the causes
of motorcycle crashes. Other comments included the need for more rider
education and other motorist awareness courses, while some dealt with
the issue of mandatory helmet laws for all riders. The following describes
NHTSA’s program.